THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA: After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do pdf

1 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do This 2012 report marks the second anniversary of the federal health reform law, and highlights the work that has been done in California, the benefits that Californians are already enjoying, and the outstanding issues that need to be addressed. Each section of the report looks at the Affordable Care Act from the per- spective of one key California constituency. The appendix section also includes a sec- tion that highlights the personal stories of Californians who have benefited from health reform. M ARCH 2012 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Californians with Pre-Existing Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Uninsured Californians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Californians with Private Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 California Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 California Communities of Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 California Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 California Seniors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 California Small Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Appendix I: Individual Stories from Californians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Appendix II: California Legislation Enacted 2010-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Appendix III: Implementing and Improving Health Reform – 2012 Legislation . 32 2 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do SUMMARY Two years ago, on March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), a historic comprehensive feder- al health care law. The passage of the ACA was the culmination of decades of move- ment toward health reform as well as a grueling two-year political process. The law includes the biggest reforms of our era in three areas: • Providing new consumer protections to prevent the worst insurance industry abuses. • Ensuring affordability and security for those with coverage, and new and afford- able options for those without coverage, including the biggest expansion of coverage since creating Medicare. • Helping control health care costs, improve quality, and encourage prevention and wellness. The law offers a mix of immediate relief, put in place in the first year to assist Americans suffering from some of the worst problems with the health care system, and a phased-in implementation scheduled for the remaining provisions, with full impacts starting in 2014. Just two years after the passage of the federal Affordable Care Act, hundreds of thousands of Californians are taking advantage of new coverage and care options, and millions are benefitting from new consumer protections and help affording health care. These new rights, options, and benefits are not just the result of the ACA, but also California’s proactive efforts to take advantage of new resources and benefits for the state’s beleaguered health system. Having attempted comprehensive health care reform many times as a state, California was quick to recognize the opportunity offered by the ACA. Immediately after the law passed in 2010, California went to work implementing the law with the adoption of a “bridge to reform” Medicaid waiver agreement with the federal government, and the passage of several bills to implement and improve upon parts of the law. Nationally, California has been one of the national leaders in implementation, but there is much more for the state to do to maximize the benefits and improve the health system. Effective implementation will mean millions more Californians will gain more security and confidence in their coverage, stemming from the new consumer protections and increased insurance oversight in place. Millions more will get added help in affording and accessing coverage as California continues its implementation of the federal law in the next several years. The implementation and improvement efforts underway in the last two years have been fast and furious. Some highlights include: • Passing landmark legislation: California started passing health reform imple- mentation legislation in the 2010 legislative session, and has since passed laws creating a new state based exchange, codifying a number of key consumer pro- tections into state law, and allowing for the expansion of coverage options. Additionally, new California laws put into place new regulation and oversight of insurers. • Creating new programs and entities: The first in the nation (post-reform) Health Benefits Exchange was created in California; as well as PCIP, an insurance option for individuals with pre-existing conditions; and a unique federal-state- local partnership called the Low Income Health Program made possible by the 1115 Medicaid Waiver. • Securing federal funding for reform: The state has taken advantage of new funding opportunities from the federal government including $40,421,383 to fund the creation and operation of the Exchange; $210,100,000 to improve the community clinic safety net; $5,300,000 to review unreasonable insurance rate increases; and $85,500,000 to improve public health. • Regulatory advocacy: The state, with the input of consumers, has weighed in on a number of federal rules and regulations related to the implementation of the ACA, and worked to ensure that federal guidelines meet the diverse needs of California. Real Californians are beginning to reap the benefits of this work: • Individuals with pre-existing conditions have new access to coverage with over 8,600 Californians getting coverage in a new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Program (PCIP), and the implementation of a new state law to ensure that chil- dren have access to private coverage regardless of health status. • Over 370,000 low-income Californians are now covered through Low Income Health Programs (LIHPs) in 47 counties, and potentially over a half-million will get coverage in the next two years, prior to 2014. • 355,927 young adults in California avoided becoming uninsured when the ACA allowed them to remain on their parents’ coverage. • 6,181,000 Californians had their coverage improved to include preventative care without cost-sharing. • 8,978,000 insured Californians gained new consumer protections, including Medical Loss Ratio requirements that give consumers more value for their premi- um dollars. 3 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do 4 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do • California consumers saved over $100 million dollars in savings from rate hikes that were retracted, rolled back, or withdrawn as a result of rate review. • 319,429 California seniors saved $171,983,735 in prescription drug costs. • Over 12 million Californians no longer have a lifetime limit on their health insur- ance plan. However, a tremendous amount of work remains in order resolve issues not addressed by the ACA, and to ensure that all Californians have access to quality and affordable health care. Some of these issues include: • Putting in place the new options and consumer protections so California is ready in late 2014—from the Medi-Cal expansion to the insurance market reforms. • Improving access to care and coverage through key systems reforms. This includes a streamlined eligibility and enrollment system and consumer assistance center. • Maximizing enrollment on day one will ensure that all eligible individuals get into coverage from the moment it is available, and that the state maximizes fed- eral dollars. • Striving toward health equity and the elimination of disparities between communities. This report was prepared by Linda Leu, health care policy analyst at Health Access, a statewide coalition of consumer, community, ethnic, senior, labor, faith, and other organi- zations that has been dedicated to achieving quality, affordable health care for all Californians for over 20 years. To follow up, contact Linda Leu at lleu@health-access.org or Anthony Wright, executive director, at awright@health-access.org. Please visit our website at www.health-access.org and read our daily blog at blog.health-access.org. More materials, including the most up-to-date version of this report are available there. Health Access is also on Twitter (www.twitter.com/healthaccess), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/healthaccess). 5 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do HOW THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT BENEFITS CALIFORNIANS WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS People who are living with diseases such as cancer often must fight more than their ill- ness. Individuals with “pre-existing conditions” such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc. have been shut out of the health insurance market—either denied coverage, charged exorbitant premiums, or left with coverage that excludes benefits for their health conditions. The result has been thousands of individuals with serious health conditions who are uninsured—unable to afford health insurance or pay out of pocket for their own medical care. They delay or forego needed care, or go deeply into debt to pay for treatment. It's a situation that puts lives at risk. PROBLEM The uninsured are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at later stages, and are less likely to survive the disease 1 . Approximately 6,487,000 California adults under age 65 and 576,500 children under age 18 have pre-existing conditions 2 . More than 300,000 people in this country die from cancer each year because they lack access to appropri- ate care and treatment. In California, it is estimated that 144,800 people will be diag- nosed with cancer this year and 55,415 will die from the disease 3 . SOLUTIONS In the two years since its passage, the Affordable Care Act has transformed the outlook for thousands of cancer patients and others with pre-existing conditions, taking them from "uninsurable" to enrolled, and providing newfound hope and health security. Because of the ACA, uninsured patients with pre-existing conditions now have access to affordable health coverage (Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Program (PCIP) in California) and the worst insurance industry practices that left patients without viable options for accessing care are now history. • PCIP is helping to fill a void in the insurance market for those who have been uninsured for six months or more, and have a pre-existing condition or have been denied coverage. It is a temporary federally-funded high risk pool that will con- tinue until January 1, 2014 when insurers will be prohibited from denying cover- age or charging them more because of a pre-existing condition. PCIP provides comprehensive coverage including primary and specialty care, hospital care, pre- scription drugs, home health and hospice care, skilled nursing care, preventive health and maternity care. There is no waiting period; health care costs are cov- ered from the first day that PCIP coverage begins. PCIP enrollees are not charged a higher premium because of their medical conditions; rates are compa- rable to those charged for healthy people in the individual insurance market. However, because premiums are not based on income, they may still be unaf- fordable for some. PCIP greatly expands the state's capacity for covering "unin- surable" individuals—the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program (MRMIP), a state- run program has been providing limited benefits at a higher cost. 6 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do • Because of the ACA, health plans can no longer impose a lifetime dollar limit on benefits for patients with cancer and other illnesses; caps can cause the sudden termination of much needed coverage. • The ACA puts a stop to the practice of insurers rescinding insurance coverage in response to a diagnosis such as cancer. • The ACA prohibits insurers from denying coverage to children because of a pre- existing condition. IMMEDIATE IMPACTS • Over 8,600 previously uninsured Californians are enrolled in the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Program as of January 31, 2012 4 . • Estimated 8,837,000 California adults and 3,255,000 California children are bene- fitting from the prohibition on lifetime limits on health benefits 5 . • Approximately 576,500 children under age 18 and 6,487,000 adults under age 65 in California with pre-existing conditions are now protected from being denied coverage 6 . MORE WORK TO DO • California will need to transition people with pre-existing conditions enrolled in PCIP and MRMIP to plans in the California Health Benefits Exchange in 2014 when insurers will no longer be able to deny coverage for individuals with pre- existing conditions, or charge them different rates. • The California Health Benefits Exchange must be implemented and operated so that it improves access to care for people with chronic diseases by decreasing cost, increasing competition, and offering consumers the peace of mind that they are buying a quality health plan. • Minimum essential benefits must be established to ensure coverage of proven ways to prevent and treat diseases such as cancer. • Medi-Cal eligibility must be expanded so that low income people with cancer can get access to the quality care they need. 1 CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (2007; 110: 395-402 and 403-411) 2 Families USA, "Health Reform: Help for Americans with Pre-existing conditions, May 2010, http://www.familiesusa.org/resources/publications/reports/health-reform/pre-existing-conditions.html 3 American Cancer Society, California Department of Public Health, California Cancer Registry. California Cancer Facts and Figures 2012. Oakland, CA: American Cancer Society, California Division, September 2011. 4 MRMIB. 5 ASPE Issue Brief, March 5, 2012 6 Estimates based on pre-existing conditions diagnosed or treated in 2007, prepared by The Lewin Group for Families USA. 7 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do HOW THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT BENEFITS CALIFORNIA’S UNINSURED While providing more security to those who have coverage, a goal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is also to expand coverage options to millions of Californians, many of whom were previously uninsured. In addition to providing more coverage options, the state is actively engaged in efforts to streamline eligibility and enrollment processes in order to make it easier to access coverage; and to enact protections that will help con- sumers more easily choose plans based on cost and quality. PROBLEM There are 8.2 million uninsured Californians in a given year—and as a result, Californians live sicker, die younger, and are one emergency away from financial ruin. Employer-sponsored health insurance dropped from 55.6% in 2007, which was already among the lowest of all states, to 52.1% in 2009. While 7 million of the lowest-income Californians are covered under the Medi-Cal program, Medi-Cal’s eligibility criteria leave many still in need. SOLUTION The ACA expands coverage options for those without insurance in two important ways: • Expanding Medi-Cal to 2 million more Californians: Medi-Cal’s eligibility crite- ria prior to the ACA excluded many adults without dependent children, no mat- ter how low their income. Eligibility rules also excluded low-income individuals based on a restrictive and cumbersome assets test. In 2014, those restrictions will be removed. Additionally ACA improves Medi-Cal for existing and new enrollees by funding innovations like medical homes and community health teams, and by increasing funding to community clinics. • Creating a California Health Benefits Exchange: The Exchange will help an additional 2-4 million Californians access coverage through a fair, transparent, and consumer-friendly marketplace. The Exchange will negotiate on behalf of its individual consumers, much like large purchasers do now; as well, the Exchange will offer subsidies to 2.2 million Californians with incomes under 400% of the Federal Poverty Level, making insurance premiums more affordable. • Consumer Protections to Keep Consumers Insured: The ACA outlaws a num- ber of insurance industry practices that have kept individuals uninsured including medical underwriting, rescissions, and annual and lifetime limits. IMMEDIATE IMPACTS Early Expansion of Medi-Cal: California has been granted a special waiver by the fed- eral government to begin expanding coverage prior to 2014. These Low Income Health Programs (LIHP) are county-based coverage programs similar to Medi-Cal. LIHP allows low-income uninsured adults to access quality, comprehensive health coverage 8 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do delivered through a medical home model. In 2014, everyone enrolled in LIHP will be automatically moved to Medi-Cal. Local LIHPs began enrollment in ten counties in July 2011, and now 47 of California’s 58 counties are enrolling people in LIHP, with over 370,000 enrolled as of January 2012. By 2014, LIHP is expecting to enroll at least 500,000 low-income Californians who will then be able to take advantage of the Medi- Cal expansion as soon as possible. Major Young Adult Expansion: Young adults (18-25 year olds) are the most likely age group to be uninsured—less because of supposed thoughts about “invincibility” and more because just starting out in their careers, they are more likely to be low-income, and more likely to work at a job that does not provide coverage. One of the “early” provisions of the ACA allows young adults up to age 26 to sign up on their parents coverage. Estimates are that over 355,927 1 young Californians from 18-25 now have coverage through their parents’ plan—many of whom would have been uninsured without this new option. New Access for Those with Pre-Existing Conditions: While most uninsured Californians are not covered due to affordability issues, many with pre-existing condi- tions can’t get coverage at any price. For them, the ACA is providing new access to coverage already, prior to 2014, when insurers will no longer be able to deny or charge more because of a person’s health status: • Over 8,600 Californians are no enrolled in the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Program, which, for a fair market premium, provides coverage to those denied for pre-existing conditions. • Tens of thousands of California children with pre-existing conditions now have the option of getting private coverage. In the 2010 law AB2244, California went beyond the ACA’s requirement that insurers must not deny coverage to any child—both by ensuring that insurers offer “child-only” policies (or lose business covering adults), and by placing a limit on how much more children with pre- existing conditions could be charged. Setting up the California Health Benefits Exchange: Since the signing of California legislation to create the Exchange in September of 2010, the state has been hard at work to get the Exchange ready for operation January 1, 2014. The Exchange Board has moved at a rapid pace, meeting at least once a month since April 2011 to discuss and make policy decisions related to the operations of the Exchange. In its short exis- tence the Exchange has secured federal funding to build its operations, made several important policy decisions, responded to federal regulations in order to provide the federal government with California perspective, and begun the creation of a world class IT system, the California Health Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention System, which will serve not just the Exchange, but other public programs with a “no wrong door” approach when it comes into use in 2014. MORE WORK TO DO A great deal of work remains to ensure that the Exchange is ready to “open its doors” on January 1, 2014. The Exchange must complete its system designs, negotiate rates and contracts with health plans, and reach out to consumers who will qualify for its services. Consumer advocates must participate in all of this work by offering concrete suggestions about how to build consumer protections and consumer friendly practices into new systems and processes. As we approach 2014, the health care system must also ramp up capacity to prepare for the millions of Californians who will be newly eligible for coverage. LIHP is designed to be an integral part of the “bridge to health reform;” aggressive outreach and enrollment efforts in that program will ensure a smooth transition as well as maxi- mum enrollment from day one. Bills in the legislature would implement the Medi-Cal expansion and new eligibility and enrollment rules. In addition, Health Access is supporting measures to ensure that as many Californians as possible can enroll in the ACA’s new options as early as possi- ble—with the goal of covering millions of Californians on day one, January 1, 2014. AB714 (Atkins) and AB792 (Bonilla) are measures currently being considered by the legislature which would facilitate early and automatic enrollment. Additional advocacy must also consider the populations that will be left out of the ACA, including the undocumented population, and focus on state-based solutions to provide health coverage to all Californians. 9 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do 1 http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2011/YoungAdultsACA/ib.shtml 10 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do HOW THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT BENEFITS CALIFORNIANS WITH PRIVATE INSURANCE While individuals who are insured have better physical and mental health outcomes, those with inadequate insurance or who have difficulty accessing the benefits of insur- ance need more help. Californians who have private health insurance still benefit from the Affordable Care Act’s provisions that make health insurance more affordable, accessible, and likely to be there in times of need. PROBLEMS The cost of health insurance is a growing burden for consumers. The ever increasing share of expenses consumers must cover, makes it difficult for those with insurance to stay out of debt and keep their coverage. From 2007 to 2009 the number of Californians with medical debt increased by 400,000, and a significant number of these individuals had insurance. Meanwhile, before the Affordable Care Act, insurers were allowed to engage in a number of practices that benefited their bottom line more than the health of their members. SOLUTIONS New Consumer Protections Health insurers are subject to new rules that give patients new protections and apply to all plans, with few exceptions: • Insurers can’t impose a lifetime limit on your benefits, meaning you don’t have to worry about your coverage maxing out when you most need it. • Annual benefit limits are phasing out too, rising from $750,000 in 2010 to $2 mil- lion in 2013 before being abolished in 2014. The annual benefit limit for September 2011 through September 2012 is $1.25 million 3 . • Health insurers can’t arbitrarily cancel your coverage if you get sick or make a mistake on your application. • Insurers are required to provide preventive care such as flu shots, well-baby checkups, colon cancer screenings, and mammograms with no out-of-pocket costs Real Standards for Insurers, Saving Policyholders Real Money Before the passage of the ACA, almost half of consumers who bought their own insur- ance were in plans that spent more than 25% of every premium dollar on administra- tive costs. That changes under the ACA: • Insurance companies must publicly report how much they spend on health-care costs and on administrative costs. [...]... Pre-existing Conditions,” Families USA (May 2010), available at http://bit.ly/xRWnKn 20 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do HOW THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT BENEFITS CALIFORNIA SENIORS Since the introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), many misconceptions about how the law impacts seniors have permeated public consciousness However, two years after the. .. Invest in primary care and workforce diversity in underserved areas The ACA provides funds to enhance workforce diversity and increase access to quality care in underserved areas California must protect federal funds to increase workforce diversity, make the temporary Medi-Cal provider rate increases in 2013 and 16 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do 2014... small firms ( 3-4 9 employees) have considered providing health insurance due to the tax credit available under the ACA11 23 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do MORE WORK TO DO California moving towards implementation California has been spearheading various efforts to implement the ACA Currently, California defines small group as having 2-5 0 employees... http://ehbs.kff.org /pdf/ 2011/8225 .pdf on March 3, 2012 11 Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (2011) Affordable Care Act: Efforts to Implement the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit Were Mostly Successful, but Some Improvements Are Needed Washington: Government Printing Office, 2011 12 25 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do APPENDIX I: INDIVIDUAL STORIES... http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0400-news/0100-press-releases/2012/release00 4-1 2.cfm 9 (CDI, http://bit.ly/Arigje) 10 (HHS, http://t.co/dw2qEj6y KPBS http://t.co/IJ80WnJj) 12 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do HOW THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT BENEFITS CALIFORNIA WOMEN The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides specific benefits to women that help to address some of the inequalities that exist in the health care system PROBLEM... including about 6,181,000 Californians, took advantage of least one new free preventive service in 2011 provided under the ACA through their private health insurance plans Additionally, roughly 32.5 million people with Medicare received free services, including 3 million in California10 11 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do MORE WORK TO DO Though the. .. 23, 2010 17 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do HOW THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT BENEFITS CALIFORNIA CHILDREN Children with health coverage and access to health care grow up healthy and ready to learn, and the health of California’s kids got a major boost when the federal health reform law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed two years ago The ACA is... the solvency of the Medicare program by 12 years As a result of these improvements, seniors will likely save an average of $200 in premiums and $200 in coinsurance costs per year 1 http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/methodology_for_sbs_spreadsheet_ 3-4 -1 2_clean .pdf 22 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do HOW THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT BENEFITS CALIFORNIA... dollars on actually providing health care rather than for administration or profit 29 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do BETTER BENEFITS AB2345 (De La Torre), 2010 Covering Preventive Services: Requires insurers to eliminate cost-sharing for some preventive services such as pap smears, mammograms, other cancer screenings, and immunizations Conforms to federal... appropriate agencies, whether regulatory or administrative, state or federal, etc The bill also transfers the Office of Patient Advocate, and the Department of Managed Health Care, to the Health and Human Services Agency 31 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do APPENDIX III: IMPLEMENTING AND IMPROVING UPON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT 2012 Legislation Below . Medicare received free services, including 3 mil- lion in California 10 . 12 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do MORE WORK TO DO Though the Affordable. Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do 4 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do • California consumers saved over $100 million dollars in savings. funds to increase work- force diversity, make the temporary Medi-Cal provider rate increases in 2013 and 17 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN CALIFORNIA After Two Years - Big Benefits, More Work to Do